At this time, Gongsun Zan led an army of over thirty thousand victorious soldiers, steadily advancing toward Ji City.
Along the way, they made rapid progress, with the defenders of several passes fleeing without putting up a fight.
This filled Gongsun Zan with immense confidence. He ordered the troops to quicken their pace, eager to breach Ji City and personally behead Liu Yu.
Tian Yu was commanding the right flank. He halted his horse on a small hill and looked back thoughtfully at the path they had taken. Watching the relentless advance of the army, Tian Yu couldn't help but sigh softly.
"What is it? Are you having regrets, General?" Guanjing appeared behind him, seemingly reading his thoughts, his tone laced with sarcasm.
After a moment of silence, Tian Yu nodded and pointed back toward a valley they had recently passed. "We've passed at least three locations with terrain that is easy to defend and hard to attack."
"If I were Liu Yu, even knowing that my forces were insufficient to stop a powerful enemy, I would still send small units to harass and wear down the enemy's morale."
"But now we've penetrated deep into Ji City's territory without encountering any resistance from Liu Yu's troops. It gives me a chill down my spine."
"If my guess is correct, Liu Yu has already set ambushes along our route. Ji City has laid a trap, just waiting for us to walk right into it..."
"Hmph!" Guanjing, who had his own suspicions, was stirred by Tian Yu's words. "If that's the case, why didn't you join me in persuading our lord to retreat days ago? If we are defeated, do you think our lord won't hold you accountable?"
"I..." Tian Yu hesitated, unable to find the words. In truth, he knew that his own greed for glory had led them here.
This army of thirty thousand was essentially all that Gongsun Zan had left. If they were wiped out under Ji City, it would only be a matter of time before Liu Yu eliminated Gongsun Zan entirely.
Seeing Tian Yu's conflicted expression, Guanjing frowned and huffed coldly, "Since you can't speak up, I will go and advise our lord."
"You know our lord's temperament better than I do," Tian Yu turned and said, "Now that we are within a couple of hours' march from Ji City, do you think he will listen if you ask him to retreat to Beiping?"
"At this point, the only way our lord will consider retreating is if he sees Liu Yu's ambush troops surrounding us with his own eyes."
Tian Yu's words stopped Guanjing in his tracks. In truth, the officers and Gongsun Zan himself were all aware that the attack on Ji City was unlikely to go smoothly. But with the arrow already nocked, there was no turning back now.
Meanwhile, in the mountains Tian Yu had indicated earlier, Wuqiu Ji and his tens of thousands of Xiongnu soldiers were lying in ambush.
An hour earlier, Wuqiu Ji had personally watched as Gongsun Zan led his troops confidently toward Ji City. Everything was proceeding according to plan.
"Fill your bellies! When Ta Dun leads his army to attack Right Beiping this afternoon, Gongsun Zan will surely rush back to aid them. We will ambush him here."
"Whoever can take Gongsun Zan's head will be rewarded with a hundred cattle and sheep. And in Right Beiping, you can have your pick of the Han women!"
Wuqiu Ji, a fierce-looking man with a face full of bristling hair, sat on a small stool as he spoke. His words ignited the bloodlust of the soldiers before him, who roared with excitement.
The glint of ferocity in their eyes pleased Wuqiu Ji, who grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth. To him, the dried beef in his hand might as well have been Gongsun Zan's bloody head.
Earlier that morning, Ta Dun had led another Xiongnu army past the northern defenses of You Province, crossing Yanshan unnoticed into northern Yuyang County. However, the march ran into a problem near a place called Xiaoxi.
"General Ta Dun, moving forward will take us toward Yuyang. Right Beiping is to our south." Ta Dun, who was mounted and ready to lead his troops onward, was suddenly stopped by someone.
This person, who had been barking orders at Ta Dun throughout the journey, was none other than Guduo, the son of the current Xiongnu king Wang Qu Bei. Wang had specifically sent him to accompany Ta Dun on this campaign, clearly to keep an eye on him.
Ta Dun clicked his tongue in annoyance and replied coolly, "Both Yuyang and Right Beiping are poorly defended. As Gongsun Zan's home city, Yuyang holds his family. Capturing it would give us a strong grip on him. Its value far exceeds that of Right Beiping's supplies."
Guduo, however, sneered and looked at Ta Dun with disdain. "When my father ordered us to campaign, he only told us to take Right Beiping, plunder the city, and return to the steppe. I don't recall him saying you could change the plan at will."
"There's a saying among the Han, 'When the general is in the field, the king's orders are not always followed,'" Ta Dun retorted, his displeasure clear as he tightened his grip on the reins, ready to proceed. "The army will follow me..."
But before he could finish, Guduo spurred his horse forward, drawing his curved blade and pointing it at Ta Dun. "Ta Dun! Are you defying the king's orders? Do you intend to rebel?" he shouted angrily.
However, Ta Dun was not intimidated by the outburst. Instead, the Black Banner Army behind him simultaneously drew their dual swords, and thousands of pairs of wolf-like eyes locked menacingly onto Guduo.
Guduo felt a chill run down his spine. He knew the Black Banner Army was fiercely loyal to Ta Dun, but he hadn't realized they were willing to turn against their own kind—especially when he was a prince!
"Ta Dun! Are you plotting rebellion?" Guduo's voice shook as he grasped the full extent of the threat. Although only a third of the troops around him had drawn their swords, Guduo knew that if he were cut down, the rest of the soldiers would likely stand by and do nothing.
At that moment, a sinister smile appeared on Ta Dun's face. He made a slight motion with his right hand, and the thousands of Black Banner soldiers immediately sheathed their swords in unison. Guduo, swallowing hard, hesitantly lowered his curved blade as well.
"Since the prince fears that I, Ta Dun, might be plotting rebellion, so be it. The entire army will turn, and we will attack Right Beiping!" Ta Dun shouted, casting a scornful glance at the still-trembling Guduo before marching his troops forward.
Only after Ta Dun's forces had moved ahead did Guduo's personal guards rush to protect him. Glaring at Ta Dun's back, Guduo gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath.
"When we return to the royal court, I will make sure my father knows everything that happened today, Ta Dun... we'll see who has the last laugh!"
The next day, Ta Dun's forces suddenly attacked within Right Beiping County, swiftly capturing the cities of Xinglong and Junmi.
The Xiongnu soldiers brutally sacked the cities, killing and looting without mercy. Right Beiping's commander, Yan Gang, was horrified when he received the news.
He immediately sent messengers to request reinforcements from Liu Bei's troops in Liaoxi and urged Gongsun Zan to return with his army.
"There are more than ten thousand Xiongnu troops! How did they bypass the border defenses? Why hasn't our northern garrison sent any reports?"
Yan Gang was nearly beside himself with fear upon learning of Ta Dun's massive force.
Gongsun Zan had taken almost all the troops from Yuyang and Right Beiping for his campaign, leaving behind only a thousand untrained recruits to defend the cities.
With Ta Dun's army expected to arrive at the city gates the next day, Yan Gang doubted they could hold out for even an hour.
"The Xiongnu must have crossed Yanshan from the grasslands and infiltrated You Province in secret. Our only option now is to defend the city and wait for reinforcements; there's no other way!"
"Wait for reinforcements? From whom? The three thousand remnants withdrawn by Gongsun Ji from Beiping, or Liu Bei's ragtag army two days' march away?"
Yan Gang snapped at a nearby official, "By the time reinforcements arrive, Right Beiping will already be awash in blood!"
"Report!" Just as Yan Gang finished speaking, another messenger arrived in a hurry. "General! The garrison at Tangyuan Port reports that a fleet carrying tens of thousands of men has appeared offshore, and it looks like they're about to land!"
"Tens of thousands?" Yan Gang staggered, almost losing his balance. "This is bad... Qin Longyang and Gongsun Du must have finished their battle. This fleet must belong to one of them. Whoever it is, it spells disaster for us..."
"General Yan, I've heard of this Qin Longyang. They say he despises the Xiongnu. If it's him, perhaps he's come to aid us in our time of need?"
Yan Gang waved his hand dismissively. "You're giving him too much credit. I've dealt with Qin Longyang before; he's a man who never lifts a finger unless there's something in it for him. If he's here, it's only for one thing—our city's grain supply!"
"Pass the order: Everyone in the city, young and old, must go out and clear the fields. Pile up stones and timber on the city walls and prepare for a siege. If we can't hold Right Beiping, we'll burn every last grain of wheat!"
With that, Yan Gang stood, resolved to defend the city to the death. His determination inspired the other officers, who all vowed to "defend the city to the end."
Meanwhile, the fleet off Tangyuan Port was indeed commanded by Qin Longyang. The sight of his vast array of ships formed a striking contrast to the few hundred trembling soldiers guarding the port.
"Brothers guarding the port, I am Qin Longyang. Today, I seek to borrow your port to land my troops. We're here to find someone in Right Beiping. I ask for your cooperation." Qin Longyang spoke calmly as his fleet approached the port, making his intentions clear.
But his words were a thinly veiled threat. If the garrison dared to refuse, his tens of thousands of soldiers could easily overwhelm them with sheer numbers alone.
The garrison soldiers exchanged nervous glances before a man dressed as an officer stepped forward, drawing everyone's attention.
"General Qin! I am Lei Zhen, the garrison commander of Tangyuan Port. We dare not stand in the way of your mighty army. However, I have a request!"
Commander Lei Zhen then knelt before Qin Longyang's forces, and Qin Longyang quickly responded, "Commander Lei, please rise. Speak your request, and if it is within my power, I will not refuse!"
With tears in his eyes, Lei Zhen pointed toward Right Beiping. "General Qin! The Xiongnu army has launched a surprise attack on Right Beiping County today, and they've committed heinous atrocities against our people.
The enemy is now advancing on Right Beiping City, but we have only a thousand troops to defend it. I beg you, General, to aid us in driving back these villains!"
"The Xiongnu have come?" Qin Longyang slammed his fist against the railing of his ship. "Good! I'll settle all my old scores with them at once! Commander Lei, rest assured. Now that I've come across them today, these scoundrels will meet their end!"